Air Fryer Large Whole Chicken Recipe

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Air Fryer Large Whole Chicken Recipe

Follow my simple guide to make an Air Fryer Large Whole Chicken and you'll be amazed at how easy it is, how quickly a whole chicken can cook and just how crispy chicken skin can get! I've included my best tips for making sure the chicken fits in the basket, cooks evenly and is perfectly succulent. Plus instructions for how to make a simple gravy with the chicken juices.

5 from 3 votes

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 45

Resting Time: 15

Total Time: 1 5

Servings

Author Chloe

Equipment

Air Fryer

Silicone Tongs

Measuring Spoons

Mixing Bowl - Extra Small

Ingredients

1.6 kg Whole Chicken
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 tsp Sea Salt Flakes

For the gravy

500 ml Water
4 tbsp Cornflour (Cornstarch)
4 tbsp Water
Sea Salt Flakes

Instructions

Things to Consider

Make sure that the chicken has plenty of clearance in the air fryer with the drawer shut/lid on/door closed.
Whole chickens have a tendency of expanding as they start to cook so bear this in mind. You will note in the recipe that I suggest flattening the chicken a bit to avoid this problem.
If you think there might be an issue, you can also consider removing the crisper rack.

Air Fry The Chicken

If your air fryer requires pre-heating, start this setting now.
Remove any string from a 1.6kg Whole Chicken and thoroughly dry it all over - I use paper towels.
Trim any unnecessary bits off the chicken - I use a sharp pair of good scissors.
I include the knuckles on the drumsticks if they're still on there, the wing tips, parsons nose (the floppy bum bit), the neck and any flappy bits of skin from either end.
For a more detailed step-by-step guide of this, with images, look at my Oven Cooked Roast Chicken post.
Drizzle with roughly 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil and rub all over the chicken including the underneath and in the crevices.
Season well with roughly 2 tsp Sea Salt Flakes. Again, don't miss all the sides and underneath.
Now you want to lean heavily on the chicken with your hands on the breastbone. Making the chicken flatter will help it fit in and cook without issue in a smaller air fryer.
Place the chicken into the air fryer basket bottom side up. If it is a preheated basket, use 2 forks to lower the chicken in so you don't touch the hot metal with your hands.
Air fry for 25 minutes at 200℃/390℉.
Turn the chicken right side up. Be careful because you want to try to not rip the skin.
Air fry for a further 20 minutes at 200℃/390℉.
Check the chicken is cooked through, you can see this by making a cut and checking that there is no pink showing in the part between the leg and breast.
Remove the chicken from the air fryer and wrap in foil. Allow the chicken to rest for at least 15 minutes.
Pour out the remaining juices and fat from the basket into a saucepan.
Use a silicone spatula to make sure nothing is wasted and don't forget to scrape off any crispy bits on the grill rack.
Carve the rested chicken ready to serve. I like to remove the legs and separate the thigh from the drumstick then slice into the breast meat.

To Make The Chicken Gravy

Start with the pan of drippings from the air fryer.
Add 500ml Water to the pan. Water freshly boiled from the kettle will speed up the process.
Mix 4 tbsp Cornflour with roughly 4 tbsp Water until all the cornflour has dissolved.
Once the juices and water have come to the boil, add the cornflour slurry with one hand while whisking with the other.
Continue to boil until the gravy is thickened. If after a few minutes, it is not thick enough for your liking, make up and add more cornflour slurry - add a little at a time. If it is thicker than you would like, add a little water at a time.
Taste the gravy and add Sea Salt Flakes a little at a time until the gravy is flavoursome. Don't be shy, salt is your friend with gravy.
Add any juices from the resting period to the reserved juices/fat or gravy if its already made.
Serve piping hot with the roasted chicken.

Notes

The air fryer version of this recipe is tested in a 4.7 litre capacity Cosori 4.7L (CAF-L501). I cannot fit a whole chicken of this size in my Cosori Lite 3.8L (‎CAF-LI401S) which has a square(ish) shaped basket of 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal. The depth of the basket is more of an important consideration in this case.
Not all models advise preheating is required. Please follow the recommended instructions for your model. Mine has a specific preheat setting which is 4 minutes at 205c.
For this recipe, I could fit in up to a 1.6kg chicken in the basket. I wouldn't struggle to fit anything much larger in this air fryer.
As all air fryer models are a little different, you may find that you can fit more or less in at a time.
Required cooking times and temperatures can also vary between models and brands. If you know that your air fryer runs a little hotter than most recipes suggest, use a lower temperature. And vice versa. Equally if you find that food cooks more quickly in your machine than instructions usually state, reduce the cooking time (or check it earlier) and vice versa.

Nutrition (Approx)